Category Physics

A new crystal that ‘breathes’ oxygen expands possibilities for clean energy and electronics

Scientists discover a new crystal that breathes oxygen
A schematic illustration of the oxygen-breathing in the new crystal, SrFe0.5Co0.5O2.5. The scientists have developed a special type of crystal with oxygen-breathing abilities, which could be used in clean energy technologies and next-generation electronics. Credit: Prof. Hyoungjeen Jeen from Pusan National University, Korea

A team of scientists from Korea and Japan has discovered a new type of crystal that can “breathe”—releasing and absorbing oxygen repeatedly at relatively low temperatures. This unique ability could transform the way we develop clean energy technologies, including fuel cells, energy-saving windows, and smart thermal devices.

The newly developed material is a special kind of metal oxide made of strontium, iron, and cobalt...

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Tiny chip could unlock gamma ray lasers, cure cancer, and explore the multiverse

CU Denver Develops Quantum Tool that May Lead to Gamma-Ray Lasers and Access the Multiverse  
Graduate student Kalyan Tirumalasetty (left) and Assistant Professor of Electrical Engineering Aakash Sahai work on their quantum technology in a lab.

Imagine a safe gamma ray laser that could eradicate cancer cells without damaging healthy tissue. A University of Colorado Denver engineer is on the cusp of giving scientists a new tool that can help them turn sci-fi into reality.

Imagine a safe gamma ray laser that could eradicate cancer cells without damaging healthy tissue. Or a tool that could help determine if Stephen Hawking’s multiverse theory is real by revealing the fabric underlying the universe.

Assistant Professor of Electrical Engineering Aakash Sahai, PhD, has developed a quantum breakthrough that could help those sci-fi ideas develop and has sent a ripple of exciteme...

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Carbon-fiber smart plastic: Self-healing, shape-shifting and stronger than steel

Breakthrough smart plastic: Self-healing, shape-shifting, and stronger than steel

Aerospace engineering and materials science researchers at Texas A&M University have uncovered new properties of an ultra-durable, recyclable, smart plastic—paving the way for transformative applications in the defense, aerospace and automotive industries.

The research, published in Macromolecules and the Journal of Composite Materials, was led by Dr. Mohammad Naraghi, director of the Nanostructured Materials Lab and professor of aerospace engineering at Texas A&M, in close collaboration with Dr. Andreas Polycarpou at The University of Tulsa.

Their work explored the mechanical integrity, shape-recovery and self-healing properties of an advanced carbon-fiber plastic composite called Aromatic Thermosetting Copolyester (ATSP).

Healing damage on demand
ATSP opens new frontiers i...

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Gold survives impossible heat, defying physics limits

Researchers at SLAC’s Matter in Extreme Conditions (MEC) instrument used a laser to superheat a sample of gold. Then, they sent a pulse of ultrabright X-rays from the Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS) through the sample to measure the speed, and thus the temperature, of the atoms vibrating in the sample. Graphic credit: Greg Stewart/SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory

Gold was superheated to 19,000 Kelvin without melting, defying physics and unlocking new possibilities in high-energy research. Physicists have heated gold to over 19,000 Kelvin, more than 14 times its melting point, without melting it, smashing the long-standing “entropy catastrophe” limit...

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